Seattle had previously adopted a 20 cent charge per grocery bag a few years earlier, which was rescinded by voters after heavy lobbying from the plastics industry. The ordinance modeled after Bellingham's ordinance succesfully went into effect in Seattle last month.

To prepare for ordinance implementation, the city of Bellingham has already sent out 1,500 letters to businesses in the last few weeks. Although there will be an initial learning curve in Bellingham, based on the experience in dozens of other jurisdictions nationwide with plastic bag bans, residents should adjust quickly.